Installing new quad CPU

[aerixson]

Hi, uhmmm this is the first time I've posted a thread on the net but here goes.

I recently decided to change my CPU into a core 2 quad Q9550 from my core 2 duo e6600.
I'm using a P35-DS4 rev 2.0 and it said on the website that its should work as long as I have F11 bios firmware. I have an F14C bios firmware so I'm confident it should work.

When I installed my quad CPU it would boot, beeped, but would only last for 15 seconds (more or less) and it halts....doesn't shut down or reset...just stops..the screen is frozen. I can get to BIOS but I have to be extremely quick if I'm gonna do something coz it freezes there too.

I know what you would think. The CPU is fried, I thought so too until I replaced it with another one today and EXACTLY the same thing is happening. It can't be the mobo being broken coz I re-installed my core2duo and it worked fine again. and yes...I know about the grounding and thermal paste thing....

I tried resetting the CMOS value, booting and choosing the default settings for CMOS. I tried loading fail-safe setting for the BIOS. I tried loading optimized settings for the BIOS. I even thought at first it was my power supply but I'm using a 750watt PSU and even tried minimizing my HDD into 1 and removing the CDROM. I'm using 8800GTX as GPU by the way.

so I was wondering maybe I have to overclock my MOBO to run quad cores?.....didn't make sense? exactly what I was thinking! argh! I'm out of options here...please please! I need your help!

 

[Mousemonkey]

4pin 12v by the CPU in correctly?

 

[daship]

Possibly you need F11? You never know til you try. Did you use new theremal paste? If not its probably overheating. Is the heatsing tight? No wobble at all?

 

[jsc]

What kind of power supply do you have?

 

[aerixson]

I have an AQTIS model:AP750 GTX. Yes I re applied thermal paste(and very cofident I applied it properly). I guess I've never tried flashing it with F11 BIOS coz I thought it wouldn't make sense coz its already working on my core2duo which only needed F4 BIOS......

 

[aerixson]

oh and yeah...12V pin for CPU checked!

 

[aerixson]

sorry...you said "did you apply NEW thermal paste?"....well I applied a week old thermal paste its sealed really good I don't think it hardened or anything plus the biggest evidence why it shouldn't be the problem is that its still the same thermal paste that I used after I cleaned out my e6600 to re-install it on my mobo.

 

[longerlife]

I too have performed an upgrade from dual to quad core, and the only problem I experienced was a delay in windows starting up as it reconfigured some stuff.

Have you overclocked the previous processor, if so you should reset your bios (even if you haven't this would be a good idea).

The other thing to do is to replace the old processor, to check that it is definitely a problem with the CPU, this will allow you to rule out any other issues with the computer.

 

[ko888]

I have an AQTIS model:AP750 GTX. Yes I re applied thermal paste(and very cofident I applied it properly). I guess I've never tried flashing it with F11 BIOS coz I thought it wouldn't make sense coz its already working on my core2duo which only needed F4 BIOS......

What is the stepping of your Q9550, is it a C1 or an E0? C1 stepping will work with F11 and later but the E0 stepping requires at least F14.

Is there a fan with speed sensing connected to the CPU fan header? I ask because you haven't said if you were using the same heatsink cooler you used on your e6600 or the OEM one that came with the Q9550 or an after market cooler.

I would attempt manual settings instead of automatic settings to see if that would get any further.

 

[aerixson]

What is the stepping of your Q9550, is it a C1 or an E0? C1 stepping will work with F11 and later but the E0 stepping requires at least F14.

Is there a fan with speed sensing connected to the CPU fan header? I ask because you haven't said if you were using the same heatsink cooler you used on your e6600 or the OEM one that came with the Q9550 or an after market cooler.

I would attempt manual settings instead of automatic settings to see if that would get any further.

I think I already wrote on my first post but my BIOS FW is F14C. and yes I used the fan that came with the Q9550 and ahhh yes I also knew about the stepping. Tried it with F14=no good and so the next step would be to try it on F11 right? "daship" said that too so guess what...yesterday I bought an FD and flashed my BIOS....and now!! I'm officially computer-less...

yes I used the right update.. I double checked it before and after the process and even if I still think about it now...I still think I did the right procedure, the right files, the right FD. As a matter of fact I know so!

but there is one part where I may not have been fair to you guys...I forgot to mention that this mobo is second hand...so the only reason I could come up with is this...Gigabyte mobos have this feature called Dual-BIOS...so I think the previous owner may have already fried the first one so what I was actually running on was the secondary one. Which might have been an F4 firmware hence, enabling the core2duo E6600 but rejecting the quad core...but when I checked it in msinfo said F14C coz it was talking about the MAIN BIOS...which is fried...or bugged in a way...(maybe)

now it makes sense why someone would sell a P35-DS4 if its still perfectly working...coz I was wondering when I found it in the shop...figured it out....its NOT!

but there is another qustion in my mind now....does this mean the back-up BIOS is non-updatable?...sorry different thread...told you I'm new

 

[michael775]

Sound Like its the Ram Try removing all but one stick of ram or try a diffrent brand of memory all together

%90 ofthe time if a computer freezes or restarts after boot up then its the ram its the ram

 

[popatim]

Just an FYI but I don't see a F14C firmware version on gigabytes website; just F14

Until you posted about the flaky bios I would have agreed with Michael775, I'da bet its your memory causing the issue. The old processors had a FSB of 1066 and the new one is 1333.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but the backup bios's only function is to rewrite the main bios in the event of a failure correct? I don't think you could boot up if the main bios is fried like you beleive.

Reinstall the F14 bios and set to load failsafe settings when you reboot. Then check your memory. good luck.

 

[aerixson]

Hey guys sorry took me a while..
my computer has been working since last year...(loL)
uhmmm...the winner is the RAM
I was running on low-FSB RAM at the moment
that is why it could work on the Duo but not on the Quad
thank you all
God Bless!